BEST MOVIE THEATER (2007)

Billed upon its grand opening in 1948 as "the theater of tomorrow—today," the Riverview is now the theater of yesterday, hopefully forever. On a recent night, the place had 'em packed all the way up to the back for Dreamgirls—just the sort of old Hollywood-style entertainment that plays like magic in this 700-plus-seat room. Exactly 50 years ago, then-owners William and Sidney Volk plunked down $50,000 to remake the lobby in the style of a spacious living room—an ironic way to fight the threat of home entertainment. The current threat—of downloading and DVDs—is a bit more worrisome, but thanks to owner-manager Loren Williams's shrewd programming and an appreciatively loyal neighborhood audience, our favorite movie theater is here to stay.